In recent years, it has been demanded with high integration and miniaturization of semiconductor elements that surface protecting layers and interlayer insulating layers of the semiconductor elements have better electric properties (dielectric constant and the like), heat resistances (thermal expansion coefficient, glass transition temperature and the like), mechanical properties (elastic modulus, elongation at break, and the like), and the like. As materials to form surface protecting layers and interlayer insulating layers simultaneously having such properties, photosensitive resin compositions containing an alkali-soluble resin having a phenolic hydroxyl group are developed (see, for example, Patent Literatures 1, 2 and 3). These photosensitive resin compositions are applied and dried on substrates to thereby form resin films, and the resin films are exposed and developed to thereby obtain patterned resin films (resin films where patterns are formed). Then, the patterned resin films are thermally cured to be thereby able to form patterned cured films (cured films where patterns are formed), and the patterned cured films can be used as surface protecting layers and interlayer insulating layers. Further, these photosensitive resin compositions have an advantage of being capable of being thermally cured at a low temperature in a step of forming patterned cured films.